The Moonlight
by DarkAngelSnapeLover
Summary: The afterlife of Severus Snape and other characters. This is a religious story, believe it or not, but Sev does go "down south," but I love him anyway: .
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE: SEVERUS IS HERE

I was that overseer the day he arrived, his long robes billowing in the wind and a glint behind his dark eyes. I never greeted the newcomers, but I was the welcoming committee of the day, so it was my job.

"Good day, Sir. I would like to welcome you to Hell. My name is Flame and I will guide you through this level and describe your job to you," I said calmly, but sternly, just as my training had taught me. I had been in Hell for seven thousand years, sent here by Christ himself for committing acts of witchcraft, and this man, I could tell committed the same crime. A wand stuck out from under his robes, and I knew what words he was about to speak.

"There has been a mistake," he said darkly. "I have never committed acts of evil intentionally, yet I am here. Please explain to me why." "Sir, are you a wizard or warlock?" I asked. He nodded quietly, like he was reluctant to admit such an offense, even in such a non-public place as Hell. "Any act of witchcraft is punishable, but if you do your duties, you may return to Judgment and be tested again. If you can prove that you have served the proper amount of time, then you will be released and sent to the appropriate area, usually a half-way stay on Earth or another planet with life. Do you understand this system?" I questioned. He nodded, so I led him to a working area.

The men were shackled together and were stacking books. The Lord kept many books with every detail of Time inside, and the books had to be organized and stored. Hell was the best place, since many who go to Heaven are allowed to live again to spread Wisdom to others. Most that come to Hell never get to see this however.

"Sir, keep up, please," I said calmly. "The warden is making rounds at the moment, and I wouldn't want you to go to the Pits on your first hour here." He obeyed and walked with me to another room, one where withdrawals were taking place. This level was for drug addicts, magic offenders, and the trigger-happy who were not saved on their home planet. The withdrawal is a symptom given to the spirit in Hell as a form of payment, and then they are sent to Judgment again and tested. Most never pass and escape their ways, and many end up at the final level of Hell, the Point of no Return. No one has gone there and returned to Judgment to hear good news. Satan is there, along with his followers. They have their space and we have ours, which is the preferred way.

"What is that?" he asked. He was pointing at a transport chamber for the exorcisms.

"Those who possess souls on what was your home world travel through there from the final level," I replied. "Now, we must get to your job, and we must see the warden to better place you. He holds the files in his office, and he'll decide what job you should do." "I would like to teach again," he said quietly. He started to lag behind me.

"Sir? Please keep up, Sir," I begged sternly. Once he was at my side, I whispered, "You'll have to work here as a physician first, one of the ones who stays with the ones going through withdrawal. Then, you approach the warden at the next level and ask to teach the unsaved children. They always need someone, but you have to prove yourself worthy. You are of magical background, remember?" "What is your job here?" he asked.

"I am like a social worker here. I've been here since Christ Himself was around, and even a little before then since this was before He went down to Earth and showed Himself to the people there. Today, I'm the welcoming committee, which takes newcomers around the area and then to the warden, who will be angry if we are late, now hurry, Sir." "It's Severus," he mumbled.

"Nice to meet you Severus. We then approached the warden's door. I knocked sternly and was allowed inside, with Severus right behind me.

"Hello, newcomer. Flame, thank you for bringing him to me. Have you given him the tour?" the warden asked.

"Yes, Master," I nodded to him. He shook his head in a pleased fashion and shooed me away. Severus was in the room for an hour, then he returned dressed in the fashion of Hell. His robes were replaced with a dress-like item like monks wear on Earth, from what I'm told. His hair was the same, but his wand was gone. As soon as he made himself at home in his work area, the withdrawal room, I was able to approach him.

My job is mostly to obey the warden, and my job was to guard Severus. The warden would not go into detail, but I felt that Severus had more on his spiritual record than being a wizard in real life.

The air grew thicker, but not from the heat, from evil, the kind that was hard to escape. And by the looks of it, Severus had someone from below on his trail, someone with darkness to the equivalence of Satan himself.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO: THE WARNINGS The warden was being impatient with everyone as I did my rounds. There was no time here, so it was constant, but my millennia in Hell had taught me how to determine the time. Newcomers only arrive at certain points: when it▓s hottest in the level. Severus arrived at the hottest point, and the temperature kept climbing as Time ticked away somewhere else.  
At one point in my schedule, the warden was on rounds as I tended to one of the charges who was being Judged. She had been in our level for hundreds of years for the Salem Witch Trials, and now she was getting the opportunity to prove herself to God, the man she worshipped passionately before the lies gripped Salem those many years ago. She was one of the ones who lied, not committed witchery, yet she was here, mostly for her false accusations. Falsely accused witches, not like myself, were put on the first level and were given formal apologies from whoever died before them. Otherwise, such as when no one else had died yet, they were taken to Heaven and given formal treatment, which is what men, and now women, of the cloth attain, unless they abused their privileges, then they were sent one level above my head, which was an area where you can still feel hunger and cold and pain, and that▓s where they spend at least five hundred years: a freezing place with no food or protection, and where no one really cares, mostly because they abused their relationship with God.  
While the warden was away on business, I trekked into the withdrawal room and found Severus cleaning some of the soiled sheets by hand with scalding water. He looked content with the work, like he was happy to only be doing what he was, which surprised me.  
⌠Severus?■ I called.  
⌠Hello, Flame. What brings you here?■ ⌠I▓m your case manager now. I▓ll be checking up on you as many times as the warden permits.■ ⌠He told me that he would assign someone to my case, probably more if that▓s what it took,■ he smirked. He had a handsome smile, but I knew that his looks would change drastically within the next year. I myself had turned into something I dared not look at. I was now a hag with sagging skin and terrible looks, but my pleasantness with the newcomers kept me beautiful, I thought. In a year, Severus would probably look like me, or worse.  
⌠He must really respect you, then. Most never get an official case worker, so you▓re one of the lucky ones. The warden will be expecting me soon, so I must go now, but you can contact me anytime you feel that you need me. I▓m always making rounds, checking for newcomers, just like the warden, except that he has a different motive,■ I grinned. He nodded and went back to work as I walked away.  
Back at the warden▓s office, I was sent to the filing level, which was near the top. Only privileged workers were allowed there, and I must have been one of them since I went nearly every ⌠day■. On the filing level, you got a rare sight of Hell. You could actually see the demons from the lowest level emerging on the surface of their planet, and you could see the universe rotate to accommodate the new force of evil. The other problem of this level was the extreme heat. The darkest newcomers were sent through a room beside the vast filing cave, and the darker they were the hotter it would get. And today a major force was coming through. A clock, a rare treat, existed on this level, which gave me the opportunity to time my existence in Hell. It had really only been about five hours since Severus arrived, and he was already at home, and within the next five hours, the darkest of Hell▓s citizens would make himself at home, and soon he would introduce himself to all of us, and he would call himself God.

Certain tests were a constant in Hell. I myself have been through many and passed, but my witchcraft had kept me where I was for a long time, but by the heat of it, it would push me much higher if I passed. The highest merit you could achieve is if you do something God-like, such as if you have to run, taking people with you, or sacrificing your spirit for someone else. That had happened many times on the upper levels I knew, but I was afraid because you never know what will happen to you when your spirit dies. When your body dies, your spirit is released, but what is there to release when your spirit passes on?  
When I returned to the warden, Severus was having his first troubles of his new job. An addict had come through while I was in the file room, and withdrawal on his planet is probably how he did, by the looks of his progress. He was at the delusional state, and sweat poured off of him. His robe had been removed, which only happens when sweat builds up, if you▓re an upper level resident. On the lower levels, sweating is a part of the deal, and those who arrive on my level often have scalding wounds from the heat boiling their sweat. Scars are also common here. Many spirits have been through hell on their planet, and it▓s only natural that they go back to try again, but the worst return here instead of Judgment. At Judgment, God often removes the worst of scars or disfiguring injuries so that you can better do your work and some trade work for the change, which sends them to the level just below this one: the level of paying for crimes or sins. On their home planets, their crimes were never punished, but God knew this and He sent them straight to ⌠prison■ in a hope that they can pay off their ⌠debts■ before time itself ends.  
It was from this level that we received news of a new leader, a man who called himself God who was sent straight to the lowest level, where he conquered Satan, who immediately sent delegates to God Himself to see what He could do. And within the ⌠hour,■ this new leader had us all lined up. We were in two rows, and Severus stood directly behind me, as if he were hiding from this person, as if he knew him.  
⌠Well, Hellions, I am God. I have come to run things down here in a hope that the work I ask for is performed appropriately. You may get moved to different positions while I▓m here, but this is for efficiency. If you have any troubles with this, remember that there are wastelands with your name on it. Warden, could I speak with you privately? Hellions, you are dismissed,■ the man nodded. We got to our knees and bowed to this man, then nodded to the warden, and returned to our jobs. I went with Severus, who half dragged me back to the room where a major withdrawal was taking place.  
⌠What is it, Severus?■ I questioned.  
⌠I know him. He▓ll be looking for me, and I can▓t let him take me,■ Severus said quickly. A few minutes ago, he was calm, cool, and collected, but now he had real fear behind his eyes, something that is truly genuine in Hell because things usually don▓t get much worse than Hell itself.  
⌠Severus, how do you know him? It appears to me that you▓re afraid of him,■ I whispered. Severus nodded and looked around quickly before looking me right in the eye.  
⌠His name is Voldemort, and on my planet, he was a great force of Evil. He was my ▒boss▓, but I was a double agent, and I played everyone, mostly him. He killed me, which is how I got here, and for him, I committed most of the crimes I am charged with, which God understood at Judgment, which is why I▓m here. Now, I▓m asking for your help to get me back to Judgment to escape from He Who Should Not Be Named to save my soul,■ he begged. I looked around quietly. I then pulled him into a tiny storeroom.  
⌠I should not even tell you this, or go with you, but on this level, there is immediate access to Judgment because of the residents who suffer from withdrawals from drugs or other substances. We can take that directly to God, but┘this Voldemort is taking over Hell. How are we going to help the others?■ ⌠Voldemort will come after other enemies he had when he was with us, and try to contact old allies. All wizards and witches come through here, correct?■ ⌠There are few exceptions, but not many are left thanks to mercy given to them at Judgment. Many of those he▓ll seek are already gone. I▓ve heard his name before, now that I think about it. He killed them, and all victims are given mercy, even those with outstanding crimes against them. They▓d usually be just below us if they had outstanding crimes.■ ⌠The one I▓m looking for new committed a sin a day out of her short life. Lily, Lily Potter, do you know her?■ he begged. I heard footsteps approaching. They were of the warden, and I immediately pushed Severus further into the storeroom and began doing inventory. The door opened a second later and the warden appeared. I immediately bowed to him.  
⌠Stand,■ he commanded. ⌠I am looking for your charge, Severus Snape. Where is he?■ ⌠I▓m not sure, Sir. I▓ll look for him immediately,■ I nodded to him. He left quietly and I pulled Severus from where I threw him. ⌠I▓m sorry, Severus.■ ⌠When can we leave?■ he asked quickly. I sighed and looked across the compound. People were everywhere, but the guards to the exit were gone. Once the warden realized we weren▓t going to try to escape, he fired them, and now, we were going to break the rules. We walked nonchalantly towards the exit, Severus hidden among the common attire of Hellions. Then, as quickly as possible, we entered the exit▓s doors and were shot upwards to Judgment, and possibly the mistake that could send us both to exile, a place worst than the lowest of all the levels in Hell. 


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE: JUDGMENT We approached a line that stretched back by about thirty people, which I was not expecting. When we got in line, Severus turned to me and gasped. He slid his hand over my face. I lifted my hand to do the same and saw the difference. Here, in the line for Judgment, I was young again, young and beautiful, just like I was when I was burned at the stake.  
⌠You▓re beautiful,■ Severus whispered.  
⌠I almost forgot what I looked like,■ I smiled. ⌠Does anyone have a mirror?■ I asked. Those who heard me shook their hands, but a woman walked over wearing white robes. She handed me a mirror and I looked with a smile. My face now had soft, tight skin, and my eyes had returned to their youthful blue. My cataract was gone, and my cheeks glowed like I remembered. Nothing was different from the year I died, nothing at all. I thanked the woman and curtsied for her.  
⌠There is no need for that here,■ the woman said sternly. Her voice was distorted, but I nodded and thanked her for the advice. She nodded and took the mirror. She then floated away. Then, it was Severus▓s turn for Judgment. A short man was waiting at the door to allow us inside, and he told me to go with him. Inside, Jesus sat in a comfortable-looking chair. We bowed to him and then looked up to him, still on our knees.  
⌠Patience, please stand,■ Jesus commanded. I nodded and stood. ⌠You have done wrong, in the eyes of the man who calls himself God. If I send you down, the both of you will experience the worst pain of your lives, and your souls will perish,■ he began. I nodded and began to apologize and explain my actions, but he held up his hand. ⌠I have been watching, Patience, and I see why you did so. You sacrificed the rules to save a man you barely know, and that is why I am allowing you to stay here. He, on the other hand, has not paid for his crimes and must be sent back immediately.■ ⌠No!■ I begged. Jesus gave me a strange look, one that told me that no one told him ▒no▓ that often.  
⌠I beg your pardon?■ he asked. ⌠Why should he be sent back down? We showed him mercy by putting him on your level to begin with, knowing that this man would come back for him, but he showed his good side to you. He tricked you, Patience Hope, and he belongs not only where he was but one level lower, where he should have gone before.■ ⌠If he goes, I go,■ I said sternly. Something new was inside me, something I had never felt before. It was defiance, and I was ready to defy to leader of all mankind just to save Severus. ⌠He did not trick me; I saw what danger he was in. That man has something against him, a grudge, something that I thought perished at Judgment, but it did not, and now Severus is being sought out because of something that happened when he was alive. That breaks the laws of the Afterlife. Why should Severus be punished for a law that he is not breaking?■ I asked. Jesus put his head down, but quickly raised it again.  
⌠You pull a hard bargain, Patience. I must speak with Father on this matter. Until then, you both will be held in a room to your right. Mother, could you guide them?■ Jesus asked. A small woman, shorter than me, who looked to have the weight of the world on her shoulders, led us into a room where we were given water and bread. Severus nodded in thanks to everyone who came near. When I finished my bread, I looked to him.  
⌠Severus, what was he speaking of?■ I questioned. Severus dabbed his mouth then began his story.  
⌠I was a troubled child, the one who was bullied by everyone. At magic school, I found dark magic, but only to defend myself. Due to my greatness, the man who now rules Hell recruited me, but I remembered my past, and the leader of the magic school agreed to accept me as long as I was a double agent, and if I protected the son of the woman I fell in love with and lost to my greatest enemy. For her, I would do anything, so I stayed with He Who Should Not Be Named just to follow orders, but I was pulled in both directions.  
⌠While under He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named-▒s leadership, I was forced to kill quite a few people, even one of my coworkers, but it was to continue my protection of the magic school, even though the only man who ever supported me a hundred percent was killed┘by my hand. I helped him commit suicide, but I was caught, both by a student there and by God. That is why he showed mercy; he understood that I was an agent. I never knew of God, or sinning, until I passed on and was sent to Judgment. Since I was murdered, I received grace, but that does not erase my past. I belong in Hell, Flame,■ he whispered. He was near tears as Jesus returned and sat beside us.  
⌠Patience, you need to begin mingling with the others here. Severus, Father wishes to see you,■ Jesus whispered calmly.  
⌠I am going with him,■ I said sternly. Jesus shook his head.  
⌠Father asked for Severus not you.■ ⌠But I▓m going anyway!■ I said sternly. Jesus nodded and led us to a large, oak door. Inside, a large man sat on a throne. Books were everywhere, and the man was writing in a large one that rested in his left hand.  
⌠Father, Patience refused to stay behind, but Severus is here for you. Do you wish to see them both, or must we use force?■ Jesus asked.  
⌠She brought him here, so she may stay,■ the man bellowed, his voice echoing through the chamber. Jesus nodded and left the room. ⌠Patience, Hell has changed you into a woman. I remember you being defiant before, but that was on Earth. What has gotten to you now?■ ⌠I fully support this man, and I will not send him back to Hell without a fight,■ I replied. God nodded and looked to Severus.  
⌠You show me fear, Severus, the genuine kind, but┘there is nothing I can do to bend the rules, but Patience did bring up a valid point. Voldemort broke a major rule when he went after you in Hell, and he is going to be punished and sent to Exile,■ God bellowed. ⌠Exile■ hung in the room like a thick mist, but Severus understood the term. I did not.  
⌠What does that mean?■ I asked. God nodded in understanding.  
⌠It means that he will spend the rest of Time in punishment, in a place worse than Hell, where torture is handed out like water. With him gone, Severus will be free to spend his time in Hell without any major problem.■ ⌠I▓m going with him,■ I said sternly. God grinned.  
⌠You have a major problem with him going to Hell. Tell me why he deserves to stay here,■ God smiled, closing the book he was writing in, making a loud noise that made us both jumped, but I recovered soon enough.  
⌠He was under the influence of Love when he committed his sins. He was being torn by the love of his lost cause and the Evil Voldemort was making him commit. He was also shattered soul, much like Jesus was while he was on Earth. Jesus was treated wrongly because of who He was, and Severus was treated the same way. From what I gather, the people at his school hated him for no reason, and he turned to Dark Magic just to defend himself. He never meant to do wrong, and he was never told of sin. He was an innocent by-stander, one who was broken and battered, one who deserves a second chance during his afterlife, so that maybe he recovers, so that maybe he finds the love that was denied to him when he was wherever he was,■ I explained. God nodded and looked to Severus, who was begging Him softly with his eyes, which were filled with unshed tears.  
⌠I like your points, Patience, and you make a valid comparison, but sins were committed. He stole the lives of many, and he did break a bond, slightly, with his actions. Need I show her, Severus?■ God questioned. Severus shook his head softly. ⌠He insulted his love, and she saw his true colors and left him, but he held on throughout his life and died thinking of her. You are right about the influence that Love had upon him, but that does not change the crimes against his soul.■ ⌠But he has changed!■ I begged. God shook his head.  
⌠He will while he works off the sins,■ God said quietly. He opened his book and began writing again. ⌠To make things right required maintenance and that maintenance cannot occur while he is here, in Heaven. Send him back,■ God commanded. I grabbed Severus▓s arm and held on as tight as I could.  
⌠He goes nowhere without me,■ I hissed sternly. God looked up with a strange look on his face. I was defying him, something that no one had probably done before me, and in His house. He held up His hand to the random guards that came out of nowhere.  
⌠Patience, you are very strong-willed, and you always have been, but Severus has to go alone, just like everyone else,■ God whispered. I shook my head as a man came into the room. I then recognized his eyes. It was the warden, and he looked panicked.  
⌠Sir!■ he yelled, bowing down. ⌠Satan is no longer in power! Voldemort is killing everyone in a search for him!■ he panted, pointing to Severus. ⌠We need your army, Sir!■ ⌠How did this happen? I trusted Satan with the job┘sort of,■ God asked sternly. The warden shrugged the best he could. God stood, overpowering everyone upon standing. Severus was surprised when I crawled to beside him and hugged him. God looked to us carefully before leaving the room. His commands could be heard throughout the building, and soon the entire building was empty.  
⌠Where did he go?■ the warden asked.  
⌠I▓m not sure, Sir, but he▓ll be back,■ I replied. He looked to me.  
⌠Flame?■ he asked in recognition. I nodded.  
⌠It is Patience Hope now,■ I corrected him. He nodded as the woman who led us to the dining area came into the room. I looked to her as she sat wearily in the chair that God was sitting in before.  
⌠My son has left for Hell, and Father▓s army has been dispatched. They▓ll rampage Hell within the hour, and the battle will be over by tomorrow morning. It▓ll be busy here, and people on all of our planets will feel pain whenever we lose a man. This will be the war to end all wars,■ she whispered more to herself than anyone else. I looked to Severus.  
⌠What will He Who Should Not Be Named do to them?■ I asked. Severus shrugged.  
⌠Whatever he does, it▓ll take many people out. Hopefully he will spare God Himself, but with Voldemort, you never know,■ Severus whispered. We were both soon led to a small room for the night. It was a nice temperature and there were millions of stars and other astrological phenomena as we slept. By morning, a list of the dead would be sent up from Hell and Time could possibly be changed forever. 


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR: WHEN THE BATTLE WAS OVER A list was sent with the first of God▓s army, and the dead souls were prayed for well into the morning. Severus and I were left alone as a second army of women were recruited to enter Hell▓s gates and fight Voldemort, who used magic to send Hellians into a fierce battle. Satan himself was sent to Heaven for protection, and he was going to lead the second wave of defenses. Luckily, God had returned, and was ready to judge again, but we were not the first on the list. In fact, from the looks of it, we were last. Severus used this time to tell me what all he did.  
⌠Well, I hated my worst enemy, mostly because he stole the woman I loved,■ he whispered. I nodded quietly.  
⌠What happened between you and her?■ I asked. He shrugged quietly.  
⌠I thought we were good friends, but we grew distant. Then one day, the guys insulted me, hung me upside down from a tree, and I insulted her because I didn▓t want her help; I thought I was man. Ever since, even though I▓ve tried to apologize, I▓ve been trying to redeem myself. Nothing worked, and then┘after the boy was born, Voldemort killed her and that beast she married, but I begged him not to. I wanted to die myself as soon as I found out, but he did it anyway. She▓s out there somewhere, with that heathen, and I▓m alone, always have been, but I protected her son. I hated him because he looked just like his father, but I protected him the best I could. When Voldemort killed me that was all I could do. I showed him the truth, and I hope he helps his mother understand. I think he▓s alive though, since Voldemort is ripping Time itself. You think they▓d be able to take him down, since he ruined the lives of so many other people,■ Severus whispered. A messenger was standing behind us when he finished. Jesus wanted to see us, and I felt tension as we entered a large room. God was sitting on a large bench, casting a shadow over the entire room.  
⌠Well, Patience, I▓m glad I held up. Voldemort has killed almost the entire first wave, and he narrowly missed me a few times, but the damage is done. Satan has fallen and Voldemort now rules Hell. I▓m creating a new area at the moment for the sinners, and I▓m doing my best to help the wounded. It▓s harder when they are no longer human; it takes more care, more patience,■ He grinned. He looked to Severus. ⌠You aren▓t who he▓s looking for. He▓s looking for Harry Potter, but Potter lived. His mother and father are in protective custody and they have been moved far away from here. We were able to bind Voldemort▓s powers during the battle, so he can only rule with force now, not magic, but the damage is done. Hardship will be felt throughout the universe from the harmed souls, and catastrophes will occur all over. We▓ll need someone to help guide the souls here, and I think that you yourself are worthy, Severus Snape. You and Patience will guide souls from the planet called Apollo. Hopefully everything will work out well in your mission. My son will go with you and lead the first here, but your jobs will be much harder.■ ⌠We have to convince souls to go to Hell?■ I asked. He nodded. I looked to Jesus, who was in traveling robes, like many I had seen in my time in Hell. I then looked to Severus. ⌠When do we leave?■ ⌠It is a long journey. We are going to take the long route to keep Voldemort off our trail, but the Gates are closed at the moment. It will take every remaining Hellian to knock them down, so he has a long fight to look forward to,■ Jesus replied. I nodded and looked to Severus.  
⌠Are you ready?■ I asked. He looked up to God.  
⌠How is Harry Potter▓s mother? I haven▓t seen her since a few months before she left Hogwarts,■ Severus said quietly.  
⌠She is fine, but she is not willing to speak with you. I told her of your danger also when she was moved away from here, and she asked me to keep you away until Harry was with her. Then, she may be able to forgive you,■ God replied. ⌠She thinks of you, and she is surprised that you of all people loved her forever. James, however, is not so pleased and would fight you if it didn▓t mean that he▓d be sent to Hell for holding grudges in Death, but they▓re both recovering. Go with Patience now and help the people there. Be their guiding light, since they don▓t know they▓re going to Hell,■ God smiled. We were immediately changed into traveling robes and we walked out of Heaven with Jesus leading us. People dropped to one knee and Jesus waved. Many were still standing, and I saw a strange color in their robes. They were the wounded. Many were missing limbs, and a few were disfigured, but they looked pleased. They knew that Voldemort was below us by a long distance and that the gates of Hell were holding him inside. And they knew that worse was going on elsewhere. When souls are killed, a separate balance is disturbed, so catastrophes occur throughout the universe, and many die. Most do to wherever the most souls were lost, but in this case it was almost an even number. Hell had been lost for a man who was power-hungry, even to an extent worse than Satan, who had fallen in battle, believe it or not for God. Things were changing, and it only grew more apparent as we peeked into planets on the path to Apollo.  
⌠A climate change is occurring there because the people were disappeared. We are only a light year away from the new place for Hell, so the people were transferred to a similar planet, leaving this one to live without them. Everything will become solid ice in a very short time to us, but to the planet it will be thousands of years,■ Jesus explained.  
⌠Time itself?■ I whispered in awe. He nodded and pointed to a large star in the distance.  
⌠Even astronomy is changing. This galaxy now rotates a different way. Soon, the people will notice, mostly because their own lives will become backwards. Everything is changed, all because of one man,■ Jesus whispered sadly. We then walked on towards Apollo without saying a word. 


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE: APOLLO The first light of Apollo was appalling. Everything was burning, the very earth that held the planet together, and the people were in a state of panic. Utter bedlam had spread over the planet like a wildfire. Whatever was left of a church was filled with people, wounded and able-bodied, yet many looked to be starving. According to Jesus, it had been three days since warfare had sent the planet into a barren mess, and the leaders had all fled in an experimental vehicle called a spacecraft. Severus and I were shocked.  
Jesus instantly brought peace. On this planet, he would return on a chariot made of fire and he would lead all of the worthy souls to heaven while two archangels in black robes gathered the damned and led them to a barren world that was worse off than their own. Most went with Jesus in the first round, fore it was law to be religious in this world, but we were left with just over a thousand. Our robes sprung wings and soon we were both skyward, guiding souls of the newly-fallen men and women. Children were all frolicking with Jesus in a final parade to the Holy Land, but the smiles were ended with our arrival.  
Severus flew behind them all, aiding the few that were too damaged to walk or float on their own. Soon we were on a highway of fire and light, a highway leading to Hell, the new Hell, and a place that I had never known and thought I never would, until Severus was sent there by God▓s orders. He had yet to send him there for good, but He was thinking on the matter, but only slightly due to the war going on between Him and Hell, He and Voldemort.  
I was just happy to end the job with Apollo. We were sent back to the planet to fulfill another legend: any left behind would meet something that they feared most, so we took the form of an evil god named , who would return in the form of a dragon and scare the remaining souls to Purgatory, and soon to Judgment, where God would show them mercy and spare them from the hard labors of Hell itself.  
Severus would▓ve been happy anywhere. We caught a glimpse of Hell from above, and it was heartbreaking. The planet they were on was used for mining. One side was made of harden, black lava and the other was a barren glacier. The side with the dark rock received more sunlight, making the heat unbearable, and the side with the glacier received almost no sunlight, making it just as miserable and freezing cold. Nothing was decent on this planet, and even the wardens had retreated to using their archangel status to rule over the souls, giving the wardens relief. Severus envied them as we traveled back to Heaven, where God was waiting to speak with us. He and His son were at a large, round table when we returned.  
⌠It is nice to see you back in one piece. The first is always the most traumatizing. Luckily, the customs were easy to follow. Some planets will require a more personal relationship with the ones you are leading to Hell, but for now we▓ll leave you with easy planets, such as Apollo,■ Jesus smiled. His father nodded and received two mugs of hot, chicken soup for us. We ate hungrily, and then sat beside a roaring fire with Jesus and his parents.  
⌠We want to thank you for the work that you did today,■ Mary smiled wearily. She then walked away calmly and put her feet in a cool stream. Jesus watched her walk away before turning back.  
⌠She is an old soul, sent onto numerous planets. Seeing the wars have made her weary, and soon her soul may perish merely from use,■ Jesus whispered softly. I nodded.  
⌠I understand her pain, seeing people she cares for suffer when there is nothing she can do about it. And on every planet, watching those people torture and murder you,■ I whispered. ⌠Is that why there are planets like Severus▓s, planets where Jesus is not known.■ ⌠Many are new and just beginning, or are in a stage of rebirth where our word is required, but many a times, it is our will to watch the people and see what they believe. Your world has changed drastically. Many still do not accept us, but we hold a different system here. You may come to Heaven as a nonbeliever, but only if you▓re moral values are worthy. Wiccans have their place here, but not around the areas where Christianity is powerful. We understand our children and we try to help them live through eternity the best way possible, but many have committed unforgivable crimes, much like Voldemort. I have let many souls depart Hell without pulling time merely because Voldemort influenced them. And with the learning of drugs on many planets, I have been forced to create some way to help them because the souls are so damaged. ⌠See, though we have much power throughout Time, we do not have complete power, because we let humans have their free will. Yes, it has harmed us throughout time, but binding them to one solid way is not entertaining for us or for them. We believe in respect: we respect their beliefs and their behaviors and long as they do not affect Heaven or Hell. Obviously, I am not infallible, but I preferred Time when I was. Many of my planets have gone amiss, and not because of one man, such as Voldemort, but because of many. It is that reason for why I created the ⌠Apocalypse■ and a means of escape. I gave people a chance to create legends, and I send my best to retrieve souls the way those legends state. It is hard work, but it is worth it. The people you retrieved today understood their fate, and no fights began. That is how the universe should flow: peacefully,■ God whispered wearily. Though he was whispering, his voice seemed to flow through Heaven like a powerful river, and everyone heard him. His voice brought peace over the wounded souls that lay in healing along the banks of a warm lake, watching the massive sun set behind a layer of ocean, and the area was serene. Within the hour, we remained where we were, but the sun had completely set and a bright moon had risen, just like when I was a young child. Chores would go on well past sunset on winter evenings, but the work had to be finished, so I would stargaze while I worked. Millions of stars existed, and they placed something inside me that made me different. The moonlight made me do crazy things, and I soon found myself in prison for witchcraft and I was burned at the stake. I had committed some horrible acts of sacrifice and murder, but my long time in Hell seemed strange to me. Thousands of years in a place worse than the prisons I endured, and for what reason? I was burned for casting spells upon the Holy Son Himself, that is what put me in Hell, and yet here He was, sitting beside me with His father, telling me why Time worked the way it did. I felt lucky, and I, for the first time, knew what mercy was, and forgiveness. I understood my name, Patience Hope, for the first time, and I realized how beautiful God was, and how He was the true light. I, that night, made it my mission to make Severus feel the same way, to tell him that love felt towards a human was not as powerful as the love felt for something as powerful and immovable as God. 


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX: SEVERUS▓S INNER BATTLE After a couple more retrieval missions, the process slowed and we were eventually assigned to watch over the wounded souls, who were still recovering. Severus and I agreed, and soon we were sitting beside each other just outside the upper, weaker gates of Hell.  
⌠What was Hell like closer towards the beginning?■ Severus asked. I threw another weed towards an area of rocks in front of us. It was very boring being watchmen.  
⌠Well, Hell has been around for a long time, according to the number of files, or else they were all made from the beginning and God still has to keep up, but┘it was monotonous. The only stir I had come from wars and drugs and prostitutes changing. God never understood human▓s fascination with sex, but he felt that curiosity was common, so many were put on our level for a spell, until it became such a widely-used sin. He ended up just classifying rape as a high-level sin, so I haven▓t seen any whores in a while. Other than that, it was just like sitting in a jail cell. I had no means of telling time, which bothered me for a long time. When the addicts would recover just enough to stay conscious, they would often stare at patches of rocks that resembled the time-telling devices on their planet. Me, I had never really known myself, until someone smuggled a watch down┘three years after they were invented. It was a part of his soul, which I never understood. He was a messenger, sent by one of the Apostles to tell us of the birth of Jesus on the final planet. Things have changed since then, but we were still welcoming the sinners who were against him within the next sixty years. Since then, no problems arose. You were the first major stir-up, and then Voldy came along,■ I smirked. He wasn▓t smiling. ⌠What▓s wrong, Severus?■ ⌠I▓ve been thinking about Lily, Potter▓s mother. She didn▓t want me anywhere near her until Harry got here. It hurts me,■ he whispered. ⌠I loved her with all my heart, went into a state of mourning because of her, only to have it thrown in my face. I▓d rather contemplate my history in a cell than here in Heaven acting like the good boy that I▓m not.■ ⌠Severus, you were gripped by human feelings, and your actions were not something you really cared about. You were depressed. Depression is one of the main conditions experienced in Hell. Those who kill themselves due to depression often just come to my level because of the situation. God knows,■ I grinned. He shook his head.  
⌠It▓s not about Him, it▓s about her,■ he whispered. ⌠She finds it humorous, I guarantee.■ I felt pity for the man then. Lily had obviously ripped his heart out, and he sat facing the ground with bulging eyes. He was holding back tears, true tears. I then felt anger, anger towards her for whatever she did to him, even if I had no idea what actually happened, and I wasn▓t about to ask him about it. So, I looked to the great clock that towered over the main square in Heaven, the square containing God and his palace. Beside their palace was an archives building to help people reconnect, since Heaven is quite vast, far larger than Hell at least.  
⌠Severus, do you want to help me research my bloodlines? I had a daughter when I was still good, but my sister raised her, and well┘I was the only outcast of the family. Please?■ I asked. He shrugged and stood, following me quietly as we entered the large building. Heaven had more room up than down, so we searched by years. A different numbering system was in order in Heaven to accommodate for everyone, and I was in year EA-13, Earth, thirteen years after Christ was born. Severus was WZ-1857, Wizards▓ World, 1857. He followed me, not realizing this, and I found a memory log for his times, but I looked alone. He had wandered to an information counter, and there I saw the scene. It reminded me of watching someone being executed, watching myself being executed even. Afterwards, numerous apology scenes were documented, and then it showed Severus▓s forearm with a strange, moving, black shape on it. It then showed his eyes, dark, sad, and angry. It saddened me as I watched him wear even darker robes and following the ruler of Hell, Voldemort, on his every command. Then, Dumbledore appeared out of nowhere. He reminded me of God, but not much due to major size difference, but Dumbledore resembled God in many ways due to his message. He convinced Severus to become good again, to return to Hogwarts to teach, and to come out of his dramatic depression, until Lily passed away. It then slipped to her murder, and her blood-curling screams pulsated through my head for the remaining daylight hours. After that scene, it showed Severus standing on a rocky formation in the pouring rain, lightning bouncing off distant mountains. He threw a red rose into the rain and watched it fall, and then he walked away, crying silently. Before he could get down the hill, he was on his knees screaming and sobbing, all over Lily. I pitied him, but then I remembered her. She had hurt him, the one friend I had other than family.  
In anger, I left the building with Severus near me. At dinner, neither of us said a word. Then, as candles were lit and we continued to sit, a red-haired woman sat down with a large group of friends and ordered dinner. It appeared as they wanted, and then I saw where Severus was staring. As I studied her, I realized exactly who it was: Lily Potter.

Severus was stunned, and it took everything in me to pull him away, but that was not how it happened. Lily heard me trying to pull him away, so she looked over. She gasped loudly and the entire table silenced and looked to us. Everyone looked stunned as they stared. I looked to Severus.  
⌠Well, so much for not having a confrontation,■ I whispered. He looked up at my comment but then turned back to Lily, who had hidden behind James Potter, who was walking towards us.  
⌠Well, Severus Snape got to Heaven. It▓s a shock truly,■ he grinned. I wanted to hurt him, but I remembered where I was and just looked. ⌠So, how did you pass Judgment with the evil you carried on your chest some forty years?■ ⌠I got him up here because I care about him, which is more than your wife could ever say,■ I countered. She peeked out from behind him.  
⌠That▓s not true,■ she whispered.  
⌠Oh, please. Get things right, Lily. Tell him what you really thought. Actions may speak more than words, but you could at least respect him,■ I said sternly. Severus looked to the group calmly.  
⌠It is you who should be in Hell,■ he whispered. ⌠You nearly crucified me yourselves, and you found it funny. You▓ll get your payment.■ The group gave a humph and a laugh, then sat back down. I looked to Severus.  
⌠You knew it was going to happen, Severus,■ I whispered. He shook his head.  
⌠I knew that they were the ones who deserved to be in the place I was once in. They deserve Hell more than any of the Hellians who passed today fighting for freedom from the man these┘losers portrayed throughout their lives,■ he said calmly. He looked up to James who had stopped laughing. ⌠You are the epitome of true evil and it is you who shall suffer once God figures everything out, not I. You▓re all indecent and I hope with everything inside me that all of you are given the payment you earned after years of torturing me because of who I am. You all deserved to die before me, each of you, for the acts you did, particularly you, Lily.■ The group was stunned, as was I. She gasped in shock and sat down along with the group. Out of the pain he showed while speaking of her, I felt in my heart that he loved her, but I was wrong. She was another one of their mind games, and this proved it.  
⌠The least you could do was help me up from my pain, but instead you kicked me down like an enemy. If it were not for me, you told me, your sister would like you. Your sister hated both of us; all of us, equally, and you blamed me in a means to join these fools. Then you convinced me that I had done something wrong by insulting you, but you were not there to help me. I read the notes, Lily, and you were there to further hinder the situation and draw out my humiliation. I loved you,■ he cried, but there were no tears. ⌠I pleaded with the Dark Lord as a last effort to save your life, but it was in vain. You see, he was right to take you and your miserable husband. If he would have taken that retched boy things would have been a lot better, but instead, the family had to be broken. That is how you run things, is it not; separating people from those they love? Not this time, Lily. This time, it is you who will suffer. You will feel what I felt for forty long years, and you will know and understand how it feels to know that the person you love hates you with everything inside them. James had an affair with a Muggle prostitute and conceived a child. That child was adopted by one of my good friends, one of those very closely connected to you if I recall. Am I right, James?■ Severus asked darkly.  
⌠I never did that!■ James exclaimed, but the lie was obvious. He then whispered this phrase again in an effort to make himself appear less guilty, but the damage was done, and Lily was sobbing.  
⌠Is this true?■ she yelled, echoing across the empty street. James hung his head, but nodded all the same. Lily began to sob and Severus turned away with a smirk on his face. ⌠You▓re a demon, Severus,■ Lily cried behind him. ⌠You think that by telling me this it will make me love him less.■ ⌠It will,■ I said sternly. I watched as Severus turned around. Lily gave me a look of denial. ⌠It is the way it has to be, Lily. This man is the one who stole you away from someone who looked up to you. He tried to be fair, but again your husband and his friends have dragged him down again. Guess what, Lily? Your husband had an affair, just as you somewhat did. Correct me if I▓m wrong, but you abandoned Severus during your first week at Hogwarts, and not because of the house differences but because you felt that the jokes of your house mates were of better value than a friendship with a boy who has spent his entire life fighting against those he had to live it with. The affair, you deserve to hear about from the one you showed hatred towards, and all of you deserve this. You all should be drafted for the next wave to fight the dark lord in an attempt to regain Hell because those gates will not hold forever and people with as many villainous traits as you deserve to fight for the freedom of those you ostracized throughout your puny existences. So, go sign up for the army and repay your debts to God because if we deserve punishment, then so do you. Each of you repulse me,■ I spat, turning and walking away with Severus. Lily was sobbing again and James remained with his head on the table.  
When Severus and I were alone and away from his past enemies, he made himself a cup of tea and stirred it while staring out the window. Soon, night had fallen, but he was still there, stirring it by the light of a crescent moon. I sat beside him and lit a candle.  
⌠I▓m sorry about today,■ I whispered. He shook his head.  
⌠The meeting was inevitable. People like them have nothing to lose throughout their puny lives, and then they reach into a man like me▓s paradise and ruin it the only way they know how,■ he replied in a hushed tone. ⌠Besides, I stood up to them. Before, magic hindered us, gave us a weapon against each other and caused more feuds. But with just words, they are all forced to act like the children they are and focus on the real matters at hand. This atmosphere helps me heal, Patience.■ ⌠Hell helped me,■ I said unexpectedly. He gave me a strange look. ⌠I spent five years of my life fighting religious groups, and then the Son Himself appears before me and I cursed him. I wanted religion to die away because I hated my mother, and she was a religious force, could▓ve been the Virgin Mary herself if God would have let her, but to me she was just a pain, and as soon as I was married, I fought back. I sent myself to the countryside where well-known witches lived and I joined their coven. From there, everything escalated. Many of them were tortured by preachers from the outskirts of the valley, but most were just the result from an overactive imagination. Each of them had a story, and I learned to listen to those around me. In Hell, I listened to the pain and suffering of a countless number of Hellians for a countless number of years, and now I understand why humans turn to God. We always look to our creator for guidance, but in Hell, Satan was the only one any of us could turn to, unless there was a missionary there. Six missionaries roamed the numerous labyrinths, but none were able to convert the people on my level, except one. She was a nun who was raped by her presiding priest, and she turned to witchcraft to dispose of him properly. She was sent to Hell for that reason, denying her faith. The missionary helped her understand that corruption was in the eye of the beholder. She taught us all through her actions that forgiveness and mercy were possible, and it helped me overcome my mother▓s actions. Lily is a lot like my mother, someone who needs security from the environment she▓s in, and you could not provide it. Truly, Lily never deserved you. You would have taught her to be fully unlike herself, and you would have set her back. You could have never changed her, Severus. Are you moving on?■ I asked quietly. He shook his head.  
⌠You never forget your first love, but I can see why she was never my friend. Dumbledore was my first and only friend. Where is he now? I want to speak with him, tell him that I am free from loving Lily any longer.■ ⌠I remember another speaking of him. Dumbledore was a homosexual, Severus. He went to another level of Hell, one where he could live happily without interferences from the Bible, or God▓s book. God defined marriage as love between a man and a woman, but a defect in genes caused people to begin having feelings for their own gender, and God wanted to show mercy on those who had no other choice. They have a special level of Hell with an exit into a beautiful valley that is secluded from Heaven.■ ⌠Can you access Heaven from there?■ Severus asked. We then realized that in Voldemort▓s search for Dumbledore, he could find a way to remove himself from Hell. Just as we made this realization, a horn sounded from a tower. An army of Hellians were attacking the outer walls. Severus immediately grabbed a sword from an arsenal.  
⌠Severus, no!■ I cried.  
⌠Patience, you have taught me many things, but I must defend this place so that at least you can enjoy it someday. Wish me luck,■ he whispered. He then joined the hundred of Heavenly men who were grabbing swords and advancing the outer walls. All the women, children, and the rest could do was sit and wait for the battle to end. 


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE SECOND AFTERMATH We were afraid to emerge from our hiding places. We could hear children, meaning that the battle was over, but we could hear no marching. Men always marched home from battle┘unless they were defeated. Judging by the laughter, there was success, or else the children▓s keepers were killed in an attack.  
I was the first to emerge. Towers along the main fortress were damaged and the sand from an outer beach had blown onto the streets. The place looked deserted except for the several children that roamed about and the few women who had emerged from hiding. Nothing felt the same, and the air seemed eerie, like something was about to happen.  
The first sign was the absence of God▓s presence. I had felt it the entire time I was in Heaven, and sometimes even in the depths of Hell, but now that presence was gone, and everyone realized it. The second sign was that the sky was cloudy. The clouds were larger than any I had witnessed before, and a storm appeared to be on the horizon, but no one noticed that. They noticed the lose animals, meaning that the battle had gone towards the distant pastures, sending the spirits of farm animals and others into the streets of God, where the gold was now cloudy from sand and the clouds. Everyone felt vulnerable, and we had every right to be. For all we knew, the current ruler of Hell had defeated our Father and Creator and we were now alone in a place built by Him.  
Around midday, the women had mixed up a feast from the food hall, and we all sat in tight circles to consume it. This was when a shepherd approached the area, and he greeted us with a mere nod, and then he began reading from an official scroll.  
⌠Dear my followers; I have left Heaven for a safer land, one where Voldemort cannot find me, but you can. Follow the direction of this shepherd and bring whatever you like. It is a new home for us, a new beginning, but there is a catch. If you wish to wait for the warriors, you will be facing a long wait and another shepherd will return in approximately one year to retrieve you and whoever else returned. If you stay, know that there will be no protection because my guidance is gone from Heaven, Hell, and many of your home planets. I apologize for my cowardice, but you must understand that I have never faced such a challenge on my home front, and I have never seen such loyalty as I have in you and my many other followers. I thank thee for your graciousness and I ask that you make this decision quickly fore time is not forever and we must relocate to avoid any further attack. Sincerely, your loving god.■ When the shepherd was finished reading, many women stood and began following him through the streets, but I remained. After another hour had passed, very few remained, but most were waiting on their loves, except for one. On the outskirts of town in one of the guard towers sat Lily, who was reading a journal and twirling a rose between her fingers. She was watching the fires that burned off in the distance where the battle most likely was being fought. As soon as I approached, she began to speak.  
⌠I never knew that he loved me after we went to school. I never gave him the chance really, but seeing him now┘he deserved better than what any of us gave him. He was genuine, more than any of us could say, and to think that he bargained for our lives. He tried to save us; I really believe he did, but to think that he is so angry┘. James always feared him once we learned he was with the Dark Lord. We wondered why, truly, since he had such potential, and when he became a teacher, we lost faith in Dumbledore, but┘Severus was the best double agent of our time, and he was our lost friend, our dark angel. You saw that before any of us, and the fact that you could see right through us proves how shallow we are. I▓m staying, and when they get back, we▓re going to apologize to Severus,■ she said, looking into the distant sky.  
⌠What if you▓ve already missed your chance? You forget that he risked his life again, if not for you then for the rest of us,■ I whispered sternly. ⌠I▓m glad you finally see what you should have seen years ago, but I will never forgive you the way he did. You▓re right, he has been through more than any of you put together, but it was your fault. If you would have stayed by his side and if they would have left him be, he never would have went with the dark people he did. The night before the battle broke out, he gave me a detailed journal. Inside, he told me what he liked about you, and then he set out to destroy every one of those qualities, but not because he saw something in himself, but because he saw something in you, something evil, something that I wish could have been placed there long ago because he suffered, Lily. That is why he became a double agent, to take his mind off of you and the rest of those shallow punks, because without using his skills, his mind would wander. On the last page, he wrote an ode to the moon. It was the moon that held him together, he wrote, the moon that told him that he was not alone in the shadows of the past day, and it was the moon that held him in a world that he could not survive in. The moon is his friend and his enemy, just as you are and just as you were. You killed him, Lily, and now he▓s showing his true strides by fighting a war that he knows nothing about, because he betrayed the Dark Lord because of you.■ ⌠Not because of me,■ she whispered.  
⌠Then because of who?■ I countered. ⌠You and your friends beat him down to nothing and then expected him to survive! You and your friends told him that the only thing he could be was evil, alone, and ugly! You and your friends taught him that death was not just hereditary, but something that he could look forward to, and now that he is dead, your husband is still at his old ways. Lily, I don▓t think you understand what I do. I understand that you pushed him away because of your new friends, and now that you see the effects, you want to take it back. Well, guess what, Lily? You can▓t take it back! He is the way he is because of the way you treated him, end of story, and enjoy watching the remnants of that battle because I guarantee you that the man who just helped me face Judgment is dead because he would rather, again, fight demons of the world than fight the demons inside himself. Congratulations, Lily, you▓ve killed him again!■ I spat, walking away.  
⌠Patience?■ Lily called. ⌠Listen, I never meant to hurt him! He hurt me to, you know! He insulted my heritage, told me that I didn▓t belong in his world!■ she called to me. I stopped on the stairs to listen. ⌠He made me feel inferior, so I countered the only way I knew, and James was there and eager to do that for me. I used him as a medium to cause pain to someone that cared about me for no apparent reason,■ she sighed. ⌠I never thought I was physically hurting him until I watched Voldemort kill him because Severus was so powerful. We turned him powerful by calling him dumb and starting a small-scale war with magic. If it weren▓t for us, he never would have turned to the Death Eaters for support, and he would have been happier,■ she whispered. ⌠See, you took everything from him, and now that I have him, you▓re taking him from me too. I spent hundreds of years in Hell, Lily. I understand few things, but I understand pain when I see it because that is my way of life, being in pain. I had the nerve to curse God▓s son because of my own selfish beliefs, and I spent probably a thousand years paying for it, but I would still be there if it weren▓t for Severus. He wanted to run, to get away from Voldemort to avoid catastrophe, but that didn▓t happen, and now he▓s fighting a war that God won▓t even stay here for. He helped me realize that fears are nothing, though. I always followed the rules once I died because I knew that it was the way to redemption, but following the path that is the most traveled is not the way to go, and you should believe that more than anyone. Because of our quest for simplicity, you hurt someone and I suffered for many years. If we want to fix anything, we▓d have to change things, but we can▓t. He▓s over it now, so stop apologizing. Thank him for the lesson and move on with your atrocious husband who thinks that he▓s too good for the mother of his only child. He did have that affair. I could tell by the look on his face,■ I said sternly. I completed my walk down the stairs to see another messenger.  
⌠Sorry to disturb you, but┘the war is over. Voldemort is dead,■ he whispered. I thanked him and ran into the main square. The movement towards God▓s new home had ended and groups of ten or more were running into the wilderness to find wounded souls. Everyone was helping with something, so I joined them to help find the dead and wounded, and hopefully Severus.

After twelve hours of intense labor, the entire battlefield had been combed for the dead or wounded, and the totals were massive. Over three thousand Hellians perished, and the numbers for Heaven could not be calculated. The worst part was that no one had seen Severus, even Heaven▓s survivors, but a miraculous story was floating among the camps. Severus apparently was the one to kill Voldemort, and everyone was called him ⌠The Heavenly Hellian.■ I knew this all along, but his story of sacrifice had finally circulated enough for him to receive recognition, and possibly a spot in Heaven for eternity┘if he survived.  
By the next morning, seven more Hellians and three more from Heaven had passed from their wounds, and God was being contacted with the news. No word from the streets surrounding His kingdom had come through either, so the survivors sat around in large circles exchanging stories from their planets. It was the first time that many of the people had gathered together and even confirmed Hellians were involved in the circles for their roles in bringing down the Dark Lord.  
By twilight, a messenger from God had returned, but the news was not pleasing. God could not move at the moment because He was dealing with other manners, so we would have to migrate with the messenger to find Him or face an unprotected Heaven, which is what we had been facing for many days now. The group agreed that until every wounded man was stable, we would stay where we were. During this time, I vowed to find Severus, or at least his body, but Lily found me for another mission. She had remained inside the tower for the first few days, but now she was on a rampage to find me.  
⌠Patience! There is a great fire building past the mountains. It looks like a battle! Where is James?■ she begged, exasperated from running around the large camp to find me. Truly, no one had seen any wizard since the beginning of the battle, but most were confirmed citizens of Heaven and had no need to associate with wizards, but after making the trek with Lily to see the fire for myself, I too was a believer that another battle was taking place in the large valley. Several brave men joined us, and the lot of us walked there, weapons in hand. When we got the valley, two days had passed and the battle was over, but the remains were too shocking for Lily or me to handle. Every wizard had been hung and a large ▒v▓ was cut onto both of their cheeks. A giant shadow lay on the floor of the valley, and after Lily grew calm enough to explain its significance, we learned that Voldemort was still very much alive, along with Severus Snape.  
⌠That is his sign!■ Lily sobbed. James was among his victims again, and she was devastated. Alongside him hung his other friends. Of the arrogant circle, only she remained. The men that traveled with us grew worried, and the fastest volunteered to run the distance between the camps to gather another army and tell the rest the news. According to the evidence, everyone was in danger, including Severus.

I climbed a tree to look for the messenger in the rising light, but I could see only a dark figure in the very distance. The figure was not the size of our messenger. He was the size of Severus, and I called to the male leader of our group.  
⌠Look, it is Severus. I must go to him,■ I called sternly.  
⌠It will take you two days and by then he will have lured Voldemort to the camp to kill you all. What we have seen is enough evidence to tell us that he never left Voldemort▓s side after all these years. He is an enemy, not a friend, and I would trust any regular Hellian before him any day,■ the leader spat. The other men agreed and I jumped from the tree.  
⌠It is people like you who caused him to turn evil to begin with. How would you feel if an entire civilization hated you because of who you were? You▓d eventually want to pay them back, and now I▓m doing just that. He deserves peace, and just because he sinned makes him no different from you,■ I hissed. The leader looked away quietly. He was one of the ones who resided on my level of Hell in the beginning, and now he was free, to ruin the lives of others apparently. ⌠I▓m going with or without you, but when the Dark Lord returns here to see his victims one last time before he kills the rest of Heaven, you▓ll wish you would have listened to the girl who would rather see the person than his bad deeds. If you show so much judgment, why are you not being throned then?■ I asked coldly, walking away. Lily quietly followed. I gave her a look of question.  
⌠I▓m going along because I have nothing else to do with myself,■ she whispered.  
⌠Who knew, Lily?■ I sighed. ⌠It▓s just like you to only turn to him when you have no one else to turn to. If that is the case now, I want you to leave. I will not stand beside you and watch you hurt him again. I love him, Lily, more than you ever will.■ I walked ahead of her in stride for a few minutes, then she rejoined me, but only to question my methods.  
⌠Why? There is no way that you love him,■ she said sternly.  
⌠I love him more than you ever did, and you know it. I showed him trust, he accepted, and now I▓m returning his acceptance. I trust him to follow the way of the Lord now, and I am willing to wait forever if it means keeping him with me for eternity. I do love him, Lily, and not because he▓s the first Hellian I▓ve seen who could pull off a religious life, because he is not the first. He is just the first to realize that Hell only changes one▓s entire makeup. I was a hag before I came here because I decided to curse God▓s son. I paid my price and now I▓m here, because Severus relied on me for help. Now that I have helped him, I feel that he is the one I should thank. He made me realize that I am cut for Heaven, and I plan to fight for this place even if it means losing my soul in battle. I believe in God, but I also believe in Severus. Now, you should get back to the next judgmental posse. You need more like your old clan or you cannot survive, if my observations are correct,■ I said coldly.  
⌠You judge people too,■ she whispered.  
⌠Of course, but with you┘you deserve to feel pain for once. Many have suffered because of you. If it were not for your choices, your son would not have suffered at school.■ ⌠That▓s not true!■ she exclaimed.  
⌠If it▓s not, then why did he have to deal with so much crap? Because of your death, and that of his father, Harry grew up famous, therefore having to deal with more than you ever thought possible. He lived with horrible people and he stayed with horrible people once Hogwarts became his home. At Hogwarts, Severus and many others treated him terribly because he was famous or because someone from their passed ruined their chances of ever showing courtesy again. You, my friend, ruined your son▓s life and you will ruin his chance at a good afterlife unless you decide to step away from judgment. Either you change your ways of hurting everyone you see, or you will lose your son,■ I said sternly. ⌠Now, let me go to Severus at my own pace.■ I walked away from her, but she remained in that spot for some time thinking over my words. She then walked slowly back to the group, who had waited for her, but not for me. They walked directly behind me into the other direction, and I lost sight of them after an hour of walking. I soon began to run because I had lost sight of Severus. After ten minutes, I felt almost too weak to move on, but I caught sight of something else. From a third direction, the direction where Severus came from, walked a group of four, but there was a fifth person on a throne being carried across terrain that was covered with roots. They were making terrible time, but they gave me the boost I needed to join Severus▓s side at the edge of the city. There, everyone saw us and heeded our warning: Voldemort was coming, and this time the battle would be more even because he only had seven men and we had over fifty people, women, men and children; who were willing to fight off the one force that pushed God away, the one force that could bring Satan down. 


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE BATTLE RAGES ON Everyone held their weapons as we watched the slow-moving group move into our territory. Several wounded men had constructed cannon balls from some rocks, and now Voldemort▓s men were within range. We all had at least one rock, and a large area once used to store fruit now stored extra rocks and weapons for us to use. We were well ahead of our enemy, weapons wise, and now he was going to pay for the previous loses.  
As soon as we hit him, the real weapons came about, and curses flew everywhere, but they avoided us all. The rocks were blocking the curses, so we threw more just to satisfy our need for shields.  
Severus, on the other hand, threw curses towards the men. He used words of an obscure language, to me, but the men fell, except Voldemort. Soon, we were out of rocks and he was out of men, so we stood on our two battle lines and waited for the other side to make a move. Voldemort was the first to speak.  
⌠You have defeated my army,■ he whispered darkly. ⌠But you have not defeated me. What are you going to do about this, Severus Snape? I now see, thanks to Harry▓s words and not your actions, that you were not on my side, and yet you went with me and my army to learn of our ways. You feel it is fun to betray the Dark Lord?■ he asked. Severus nodded with a new courage, one that I had not seen in him. ⌠You do not fear me?■ ⌠What is there to fear?■ Severus asked. ⌠I have made more friends than enemies here, and you have done the opposite.■ ⌠No, I just found old ones,■ Voldemort sneered. ⌠I see that the women are rallying behind you. I believe that it is not for your looks.■ ⌠It is for his actions against you!■ I screamed. I threw a rock at him but he dodged it with a spell.  
⌠My, my what angry people you have here,■ Voldemort smiled. He aimed his wand directly at me. ⌠You have made me very angry, witch. I remember you from Hell, as does Severus. You helped him escape, from the words of your supervisor. So, why would such an evil witch be residing in Heaven?■ ⌠I▓ve paid for my sins,■ I replied sternly. Severus glanced back at the group. They were eagerly awaiting our next move.  
⌠You were able to receive mercy for cursing your lord▓s son? That does not seem possible. If you all give your faith to me, we will turn Heaven into a worthy place for the right people, not someone who curses such good forces,■ he grinned.  
⌠I would rather die,■ I said sternly. Rocks and curses flew, and Voldemort was soon injured. His wand was broken, and we took the opportunity to beat him with sticks and other objects. ⌠Where are your followers?■ I screamed at him. I was given his head to beat. ⌠You selfish bastard! You killed your only friends, and now you▓re dying with them!■ I screamed. I then drove my stick between his ribs and into the inner beatings of his soul. ⌠Burn! Burn you bastard!■ I screamed. He faded from beneath us and the group cheered. We then began treating our wounds, but not before Lily and her group came to our ⌠rescue.■ ⌠Where is Voldemort?■ the leader asked. ⌠I killed him,■ I replied. I was still panting as the group of us returned to our camp, where a messenger was waiting to lead us to God.  
⌠You killed him? How did you get here before them? We passed them on our way back,■ the leader replied.  
⌠It was an illusion,■ Severus whispered. ⌠He does that to make him appear more powerful, but we killed the real one. The decoys cannot speak and continue to move no matter what happens. We have killed Voldemort again. Congratulations, Patience, you have given him what he deserves.■ The group cheered and helped me calm down. We then all walked to the main camp, where we packed our remaining belongings and began following the messenger. Before I could leave, Lily found Severus and me.  
⌠Patience, I▓m sorry if I seemed evil to you,■ she whispered nervously.  
⌠It▓s fine. I want nothing to do with you,■ I replied. ⌠You think it is perfectly okay, what you did, and┘now you▓re alone. It▓s more than I could ever ask for. Now, if you▓d excuse us, we▓re helping to care for the wounded. It is a very heavenly things for us to do, don▓t you think?■ ⌠Listen, I▓m sorry,■ she cried. She then looked to Severus for the first time. ⌠I let my own thoughts get in the way of my friends, and I▓m sorry, but there▓s nothing I can do to change what happened. I thank you for pleaded with Voldemort for my life, but other than that I could be apologizing. I had no idea that I ruined your life though, Severus. Why allow your friend to hold a false grudge against me?■ she asked.  
⌠Because her reasons are truthful,■ he whispered. She gave him a strange look. ⌠You heard me correctly, Lily. Her reasons and my reasons tend to match a little. You laughed at me, hurt me at my weakest point, and now you expect me to believe that you have forgiven me? What if it is I who needs to be apologized to? I have gone through more than enough pain because of you, and now that I have the option to forget about you, that is the route I choose to take. Please, stay out of my life and stay out of Patience▓s life. We both deserve far better,■ Severus smirked.  
As we all joined the line and carried the wounded towards God and the new Heaven, one person was not with us. Lily chose to stay behind and care for the animals, along with a few other women and men. The rest marched to God and our new homeland. Once there, Hellians were Judged, and Severus was one of the first to go into God▓s chamber. He returned and walked to me.  
⌠What did He say?■ I asked. He sighed and sat me down on a bench.  
⌠He says that I must serve a century in Hell┘without you,■ he replied quietly.  
⌠Why? I don▓t know if I can do that, Severus,■ I whispered. ⌠I found a friend in you, my first in my life and afterlife, and now He is taking you away from me?■ ⌠Patience, there is no way around me serving time. Though my actions for redemption saved many lives here in Heaven and on God▓s planets, they still do not cover my life▓s sins. I murdered people, Patience, people who did not deserve to die, and now I need to pay for this in the only way I can. I▓m sorry, Patience, but my group leaves within the hour.■ ⌠I▓ll wait for you,■ I said quietly. ⌠I have to wait for you because if I do not wait for you, then I will go crazy. Severus, I love you,■ I whispered. I hugged him quietly and he lifted my chin with his hand.  
⌠That is the first time anyone besides my mother has said that to me, and to tell you the truth, you▓re the first person I▓ve had feelings for since┘,■ he whispered. He stopped himself and smirked slightly. ⌠The past┘since I let the past go,■ he smiled. We kissed passionately for a minute, then pulled away.  
⌠Return soon, Severus,■ I said quietly. He nodded and walked away from me, joining a messenger and a group of other Hellians. He turned back as the group left Heaven▓s surface, and we waved to each other.  
Now, I sit here, waiting for him to return. When he gets here, he▓ll be a changed man, just like I became in my many centuries in Hell, but when he returns, it will be his choice, not the work of someone else. When he returns from Hell, he will have a reason, though not religious, but something close. He will return due to the religion of love. 


End file.
